Shirt collar support



March 12, 1957 A. L. lvERsoN 2,784,836

sum COLLAR SUPPORT Filed Nov. 10, 1953 2 She'ets-Sheet 1 I .II M I} 2 25 Z/ IN V EN TOR.

March 12, 1957 A. L. IVERSON SHIRT COLLAR SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 1 o. 195s INVENTO'R. $422272 Z. [ye/.6072, BY

United States snnrr COLLAR SUPPORT Arden L. Iverson, Lincolnwood, Ill., assignor to Para-Lox Products Company, Chicago, IlL, a corporation of Illinois Application November 10, 1953, Serial No. 391,215

9 Claims. (Cl. 22383) 'The present invention relates to improvements in a simple protective device for a collar-attached shirt, in the form of a small, specially shaped blank of flexible paperboard or equivalent material.

a It is a general object of the invention to provide a collat-protecting and supporting device of the above sort which is easily and quickly applied to a shirt by inserting the same manually in the neckband of the shirt collar, which anchors itself firmly in place when so inserted, thereafter constituting an upstanding, strut-like unit to receive and sustain vertical thrust, as in the packaging or handling of a number of shirts, and which is instantaneously and easily removed from the collar notwithstanding the anchored engagement of the device therein.

A more specific object is to provide a shirt collar protector featuring a relatively large central panel disposed inside the neckband opening of the shirt, this panel being substantially coextensive with the upwardly exposed area of the shirt within its collar portion and being adapted to receive printed decorative or advertising material. The invention provides, in integral combination with such a panel, improved neckband engaging and locking elements which frictionally engage the shirt neckband. These elements extend around practically the entire circumference of neckband, affording an almost continuous annular load sustaining strut within the same.

Yet another object, in a modified adaptation of the invention, is to provide a combined one-piece shirtboard and collar protector, in which a backing board and associated rear collar panel function in a novel way in locking the protector to a laundered shirt packaged for delivery to a customer.

The foregoing statements are indicative in a general way of the nature of the invention. Other and more specific objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of the construction and use of the device.

Two embodiments of the invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration. However, the invention may be incorporated in other modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one embodiment of the improved paperboard collar support in original flat, blanked-out condition thereof;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view illustrating the support in its operative position in which it has snug interlocked engagement with the collar neckband of a shirt;

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical front to rear section along a line corresponding to line 33 of Fig. 2 showing in dotted lines the manner of releasing the protector from a shirt collar.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a unitary paperboard blank from which a collar protector and associated shirtboard are fabricated in accordance with a modification of the principle of the invention;

Patented Mar. 12, 1957 ace Fig. 5 is a top plan view illustrating the construction of Fig. 4 as operatively applied to a shirt; and

Fig. 6 is a view in longitudinal vertical section along a line corresponding to line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a blank 10 of which the improved collar support is formed is died out of a sheet of flexible paperboard stock to provide a central panel 11 which is generally rectangular but has opposed, mildly rounded side margins 12. A transversely elongated rear neckband engaging panel 13 is integrally hinged to panel 11 by a transverse crease 14 and the ends of panel 13 are also convexly rounded at 15. The respective side marginal curvatures 12, 15 of panels 11, 13 converge toward opposite ends of crease 14, which may terminate short of the sides of the blank to allow the formation of integral, rearwardly extending, uncreased lock tongues 11' on panel 11, these being cut from the material of rear neckband panel 13. Panel 11 is approximately coextensive in area with the collar opening of an average size mans collar-attached shirt (Fig. 2) and the width of panel 13 approximates the height of the shirt neckband, at its rear.

A further transversely extended collar band engaging wing 16 is integrally hinged to the end of central panel 11 opposite crease 14. To this end, the adjacent end margin of panel 11 is provided with a pair of transversely aligned intermediate creases 17 on either side of its centerpoint, from opposite ends of which transversely aligned slits 18 extend outwardly to the side margins 12 of panel 11. A semicircular, outwardly convex anchoring tongue 19 is exercised from the material of wing 16 by means of an arcuate slit 20 whose ends terminate at the inner ends of the creases 1'7. Slits 18, 2%) thus free side arm portions 21 of the wing 16 for swinging movement relative to panel 11, i. e., about creases 18.

The opposite end extremities of wing arms 21 are tapered and serrated at 22 to enable the wing arms to dig in and engage and lock beneath the lower margin of the shirt collar neckband when the protector is applied therein, in a manner to be described.

In engaging the protector with a conventional collarattached shirt, designated 23 in Figs. 2 and 3, the wing 16 is bent upwardly about aligned creases 17 out of the plane of panel 11 and its arms 21 are manually flexed rearwardly to the general arcuate outline depicted in Fig. 2. The thus shaped device is then advanced forwardly and downwardly into the neck opening of the collar, and the forwardly projecting locking tongue 19 is inserted beneath the throat portion of the neckband 24. Forward, partially rounded corners 25 of the panel 11 are also engaged beneath the neckband on either side of its forward throat portion, thereby duplicating the action of the tongue 19 in interlocking the device beneath the neckband throat zone.

With the support partially inserted as described, downward pressure is now applied to panel 11 adjacent but inwardly of its rear crease 14, causing the rear panel 13 to buckle upwardly and forwardly about the crease and ultimately assume an upright position. In this condition the panel assumes curved conforming engagement with the rear of the neckband rear portion, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. Panel 11 rests in flatwise contact over the rear of the shirt proper. The parts of the device are then released, whereupon their natural resilience causes them to snugly engage outwardly against the collar neckband.

The lower serrated edges 22 of wings arms 21 dig into and frictionally anchor underneath the neckband, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and the coordinate action of all of the parts of the device is such as to result in a snug, semipositive frictional retention of the protector in the collar neckband, amply resisting inadvertent displacement there from. Tongues 11' will yield as the protector slides downwardly into position and engage beneath the rear of the neckband, in the manner of the forward tongue 19 and corners25. V

The support is readily removed by simply grasping rear panel. 13 adjacent its top edge by two fingers and. lifting the support upwardly and outwardly to the rear. engaged parts buckle readily, as indicated in dotted: line inFig. 3,,to free the protector from looking position.

The device provides a rigid and column-like, almost continuous annular strut for the shirt neckband. When a. plurality of shirts to which the protectors are applied are; stacked vertically in end to end alternation and in successive upwardly and downwardly facing orientation, a rigid, box-like packaged unit results. Moreover, the construction is such that a protector of standard size will accommodate itself to quite a range of, shirt collar sizes, avoiding the. need to stock protectors which differ only in thematter of size.

Figs. .4, and 6 illustrate a modified adaptation of the principle of the invention to a combined construction in volving, a shirtboard about which a laundered shirt is Wrapped and an integrally associated collar protector similar to that illustrated in Figs. 1 through 3.

The blank 26 from which this combination is manufactured comprises a rectangular shirtboard panel 27 having an outer, rear collar engaging panel 28 integrally hinged thereto by a transverse crease 29. A succeeding, transversely elongated panel 30, integrally hinged to panel 28 by transverse crease 31 and partially separated therefrom by V-shaped end notches at the ends of the last named crease, serves an inner rear collar engaging member. It corresponds generally in function to panel 13' of the first described embodiment, but its terminal wings 32 are considerably greater in length.

A main panel 33, engageable in the collar opening of the shirt and having rounded side margins 3 adapted to fit the contour of the opening, is integrally hinged to panel 30 by transverse crease 35v extending between the rear lock tongues 36 thereof, corresponding to. tongues 11'. The forward portion of panel 33 is integrally hinged by transversely spaced creases 37 to a forward, throat engaging panel member 38 having laterally projecting, neckband engaging wings 39, as in. the first described embodiment. A forward lock tongue 40 for panel 33 is cut from the material of member 38 by means of a forwardly convex slit 41, whose ends join the inner termini of creases 37.

In respect to the panels 30, 33 and 38, their. functions are. similar to those of the respective panels 13, 11, 16 of the embodiment of Figs. 1, 2 and 3,'it being noted by reference to Figs. 5 and 6 that the increased length of the rear neckband panel 30 enables arms 32 of they same to further supplement the vertical support of the collar 24 throughout substantially the entire internal periphery of its neckband opening.

In applying the comibnation style, a shirt 23 is folded swung forwardly and downwardly while the forward.

throat engaging wing 39 is cupped .to rearwardly concave outline. Lock tongue 40 is now inserted downwardly and forwardly beneath the throat zone of the shirt neckband, guiding panel into place in the collar opening, as in the use of the simple first embodiment. With the parts in this position, downward pressure is applied to panel 33, while the outer wings 32 of rear panel 3! are curved and, guided to position inside ofthe neckband. These wings are disposed with their ends between. the rear ends of forward wings 39 and the. shirt neckband, as ils ra sdin ss: 5 d 6.. j v 1 The r This completes the application of the form of Figs. 1-6, and results in a very thoroughly protected shirt, in which the shirtboard panels 27, 28 serve as an anchor rearwardly sustaining the remaining parts in their locked collar-supporting and protecting position. Panel 33 is engaged beneath the neckband by the respective lock tongues 36, 40, as in the first embodiment, and a con tinuous upward strut is formed around the inner surface hinge attachment with said body panel to define a for wardly projecting locking tongue, said wing being partially freed from said body panel by transversely aligned slits on either side of said tongue defining rearwardly curved wing arms which are frictionally and expansively engaged with the neckband of a collar when said protector is operatively applied therein, said tongue projecting beneath the forward throat portion of the neckband and said rear panel being buckled upwardly about said first named crease in upright position in general conformity with the contour of the rear zone of the neckband.

, 2. A shirt collar protector comprising a central body panel of generally rectangular outline, a rear neckband engaging panel integrally hinged by a crease to said body panel, and a forward neckband engaging wing integrally hinged to said body panel by a pair of transversely aligned, relatively short creases, the material of said wing being internally cut in a forwardly convex outline between adjacent inner ends of said last named creases to define a forwardly projecting locking tongue, said wing being. partially freed from said body panel by transversely aligned slits on either side of said tongue extending outwardly from opposite outer extremities of said last named creases, thereby defining rearwardly curved wing arms which are frictionally and expansively engaged with.

the neckband of a collar when said protector is operatively applied therein, said tongue projecting beneath the forward throat portion of the neckband; and said rear panel being buckled upwardly about said first named crease in upright position in general conformity with the I contour of the rear zone of the neckband.

3. A shirt collar protector comprising a central body panel of generally rectangular outline, a rear neckband engaging Panel integrally hinged by a crease to said body panel, and a forward neckband engaging wing integrally.

hinged to said body panel, the material of said wing being internally cut in a forwardly convex outline adjacent its hinge attachment with said body panel to. de-

fine a forwardly projecting locking tongue, said. wingbeing partially freed from said body panel by transversely aligned slits on either side of said tongue defining rear- 7 wardly curved wing arms which are frictionally and expansively engaged with the neckband of a collar when said protector is operatively applied therein, said tongue projecting beneath the forward throat portion of the neckband and said rear panel being buckled upwardly about said first named crease in upright position in general- Conformi ty with the contour of the rear zone of the neckband, corners 'of said body panel adjoining said transversely aligned slits projecting forwardly beneath the curvature of said wing and on either side of said tongue.

4. A shirt collar protector comprising a central body panel of generally rectangular outline, a rear neckband engaging panel integrally hinged by a crease to said body panel, and a forward neckband engaging wing integrally hinged to said body panel by a pain of transversely r aligned, relatively short creases, the material of-said wingbeing internally cut in a forwardly convex outline between adjacent inner ends of said last named creases to define a forwardly projecting locking tongue, said wing being partially freed from said body panel by transversely aligned slits on either side of said tongue extending outwardly from opposite outer extremities of said last named creases, thereby defining rearwardly curved wing arms which are frictionally and expansively engaged with the neckband of a collar when said protector is operatively applied therein, said tongue projecting beneath the forward throat portion of the neckband and said rear panel being buckled upwardly about said first named crease in upright position in general conformity with the contour of the rear zone of the neckband, corners of said body panel adjoining said transversely aligned slits projecting forwardly beneath the curvature of said wing and on either side of said tongue.

5. A shirt collar protector comprising a central body panel of substantial area, a rear neckband engaging panel integrally hinged to said body panel by a transverse crease, and a forward neckband engaging wing integrally hinged to said body poriton, the material of said wing being internally cut adjacent its hinge attachment with said body panel to define a forwardly projecting locking tongue, said wing being partially freed from said body panel to provide wing arms which stand substantially normal to and above said panel and are expansively engaged with a collar neckband when said protector is operatively applied therein, said tongue projecting beneath the forward throat portion of the neckband and said rear panel being disposed in upright position. above and substantially normal to said body panel and in general conforming engagement with the contour of the rear zone of the neckband.

6. A shirt collar protector comprising a central body panel of substantial area, a rear neckband engaging panel integrally hinged to said body panel by a transverse crease, said panels being provided with corresponding convex side margins which merge with one another at pp'osite termini of said crease, and a forward neckband engaging wing integrally hinged to said body portion by a pair of transversely aligned, relatively short creases, the material of said wing being internally cut adjacent its hinge attachment with said body panel to define a forwardly projecting locking tongue, said wing being partially freed from said body panel to provide wing arms which stand substantially normal to and above said panel and are expansively engged with a collar neckband when said protector is operatively applied therein, said tongue projecting beneath the forward throat portion of the neckband and said rear panel being disposed in upright position above and substantially normal to said body panel and in general conforming engagement with the contour of the rear zone of the neckband.

7. A shirt collar protector in accordance with claim 1 in which rear panel terminates in an upwardly exposed edge extending across the rear of the neckband adjacent the top of the latter.

8. A shirt collar protector in accordance with claim 4 in which said rear panel terminates in an upwardly exposed edge extending across the rear of the neckband adjacent the top of the latter.

9. In a protective device for collar attached shirts having a shirtboard of generally rectangular outline, the provision of a rear collar engaging panel integrally hinged to one end of the shirtboard, and a collar protector of flexible material integral with said rear collar engaging panel, said collar protector comprising a central body panel of generally rectangular outline, a rear neckband engaging panel integrally hinged by a crease to said body panel and further integrally hinged by a crease to said rear collar engaging panel, a forward neckband engaging wing integrally hinged to said body panel, the material of said wing being internally cut in a forwardly convex outline adjacent its hinge attachment with said body panel to define a forwardly projecting locking tongue, said wing being partially freed from said body panel by transversely aligned slits on either side of said tongue defining rearwardly curved wing arms which are frictionally and expansively engaged with the neckband of a shirt when said protector is operatively applied therein, said tongue projecting beneath the forward throat portion of the neckband and said rear panel being buckled upwardly about said first named crease in upright position in general conformity with the contour of the rear zone of the neckband.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,941,185 OShea Dec. 26, 1933 2,053,564 Knapp Sept. 8, 1936 2,401,789 McFall et al. June 11, 1946 2,414,186 Bellin Jan. 14, 1947 2,581,696 OReilly .7.... Jan. 8, 1952 

